Whether you have already started your summer vacation, or you are like our family and counting down the days until school is out… we all know summertime is the BEST TIME!
Remember the way we felt when summer hit when we were a kid?! Summer was FREEDOM! Summer was throwing caution to the wind and being completely care free! Summer was staying up late and fireworks and bike rides and sleep overs! It was never knowing exactly what day it was and coming home when the street lights came on.
Summer was and still is (in my opinion) the absolute BEST time of the year!
It’s why it’s one of my favorite times to capture my kiddo! I mean he’s living his best life!
So today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite ways or favorite moments that I feel embody the spirit of childhood summer!
1. WATER FUN!
Beach, pool, or even right in your back yard nothing says summertime like water activities! I don’t know about you but I love the water and I love the joy and energy that water brings to everyone young and old. It could be a beautiful day at the beach and you will see children splashing in the waves or building sand castles. It could be the pool and there will be canon balls, marco polo games, diving board feats of aerial displays and gosh darn those goggles look so cute! And please don’t get me started on sprinklers in the back yard or water hoses! The expressions and excitement and splashing and just absolute pure delight on the faces of everyone just shouts SUMMER IS HERE! Grab your camera fast, because you aren’t going to want to miss a single second!
ICE CREAM/POPSICLE DREAM!
Summer and cold treats go hand in hand! I mean I can’t even think of summer days without thinking of an ice cream sandwich or one of those frozen icee pops that you have to use scissors to cut off the tops. C’mon we all know the ones, I like the blue or purple… and then we all drank the juice because they melted so fast! Bomb pops are Linc’s favorite. That or a good shaved ice. He’s not a super fan of ice cream, although if you are in the Virginia Beach area… I totally recommend you go to Lolly’s . They are AMAZING! And if you go… grab yourself a picture. Also, the Blue Cow is amazing too. My favorite is the Goat Cheese with Blueberry Swirl. I know, sounds weird but don’t knock it until you try it. You’ll be hooked!
There is just something so summer about seeing a little one enjoying an ice cream or a popsicle! I think it’s the way they just completely let themselves ENJOY IT! I know my son fully immerses himself in his popsicles. Or oh my gosh, if my own mama makes homemade ice cream, my son goes HAM! I mean he gives that ice cream has his undivided attention and there is no shame in his yummy noises or his little body dances and I just absolutely love watching him delight in eating it. It brings me back to childhood! And when we get to eat them at the pool, or outside on the back porch in the summer sunshine… it makes it so much sweeter. I love capturing that moment because not only does it make me happy every single time I see it because I know he is joyful, I know he is happy and carefree and everything in the world is just right for him. I love it because it also brings ME right back to my childhood summers too!
SUNNY ADVENTURES AND EXPLORATIONS
The warm summer sun means longer days and ample time to play outside! As a kid I remember just being able to explore and go on adventures! As an adult one thing I love about the summertime is seeing all the neighborhood kids outside, playing together! Whether you get to go on a family vacation or your little one just has the time to get outside and explore their backyard; the long summer days allow for adventure, imagination and a chance to go outside and see the world around them!
SUMMER RELAXATION!
There’s nothing quite like summer relaxing! The days are long but the nights of summer are a bit sweeter. We only get so many summers with our little ones. It’s an easy thing to forget but once they start getting a little bit older, that time starts to creep up on us! Summer nights are some of my favorite: for some reason they don’t seem as rushed! Our family loves a good cook out in the back yard as we throw the ball for the dogs. Some nights it’s pizza (or some kind of order in) at the pool while we watch Linc hang out with his summer time friends. We know we’ll stay there way to late but it’s summer so it’s OK. My favorite nights are the ones where it’s a smorgasbord kind of picnic in front of the TV and we pick a family movie. It’s kind of like a family lunchable kind of night or as I like to call it a charcuterie made up of chicken nuggets, pretzels and hummus for Linc. Cheese and crackers and fruit for me (the real charcuterie fanciness). And whatever Tuck decides he will piece together from that! I used to do that kind of thing with my mom when my dad was at the fire house and I love that I can bring that tradition (something that I cherished) into my own home. One thing is for sure though, summer night relaxing absolutely needs to be on the list!
I hope you grab your camera and start capturing summer, if it’s already starting for you or whether you are like me and desperately counting down the days! Honestly, I’m not sure who is more excited right now… me or my kiddo!
Summer is the perfect time to capture those beautiful, candid moments that tell YOUR STORY! So what are you waiting for?! Go on out there!
I know this year I have things I specifically want to capture. I want to capture more of a summer nights. I always forget to bring the camera out because I’m enjoying them (and that’s OK). But Linc is getting older and I want to document it before he starts to want to hang with his friends more than us.
What do YOU want to capture? Start thinking about it… and then go get it!
And if you need help or a little extra boost, I’m here! Send me an e mail and let’s chat!
And if you want to get yourself in those summer portraits, I can do that too! Schedule a summer session with me and we capture your entire family’s iconic summer!
